8:00 p.m. “In Memoriam: Concert In Memory of Armenian Intellectuals Sent to Their Deaths in 1915″

We have a block of 100 *free* tickets reserved for Project 2015 participants (which will otherwise cost $20/per person). Please confirm to us if you wish to reserve a ticket for the concert on your registration form.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

9:00 a.m. Tour of Armenian Istanbul: Professor Heghnar Watenpaugh and Professor Ani Kasparian, in coordination with Istanbul architect Zakarya Mildanoglu, will lead a tour of cultural, architectural and historical sites in Istanbul related to the Armenians. General Introduction followed by walking tour.

9:30 a.m. Walking Tour of Taksim and surroundings. Including: Site of St. James Armenian cemetery; Taksim Square; Holy Trinity Armenian Church; site of Tokatlian café; former home of Krikor Zohrab.

Noon: Old Istanbul and the Armenian Patriarchate. After the walking tour buses will take participants to Holy Mother of God Patriarchal Church in Kumkapı. Lunch at the church hall. Visit with Patriarchate officials, tour of the Church. Additional visits to an Armenian school and foundation to be finalized.

The walking tour will leave the Intercontinental Hotel at 9:30 a.m. Participants will board buses after the walking tour. Buses will return participants to DEPO by 6:00 p.m.

There will be a nominal fee for the buses and for the lunch. details will be emailed to confirmed participants.

6:00p.m. Photo Exhibit at Depo

Friday, April 24, 2015

We will organize a number of buses to bring participants to Haydarpasa and Taksim Square. The buses will depart from the Intercontinental Hotel in Taksim Square. Please let us know if you would be interested in using the bus service.

Please note that the Turkish and Armenian groups have still not finalized the details of these plans, and they are subject to change.

1:00p.m. – Gather at Haydarpasa Station, honoring the memory of the Istanbul Armenian community leaders from where they were sent to their deaths. Event sponsored by Human Rights Association.

3:30 p.m. – OPTIONAL — YOU MUST TAKE YOUR OWN TRANSPORTATION – BUS SERVICE NOT AVAILABLE: Memorial Service for Sevag Balikci atSisli Armenian Apostolic Cemetery (Sisli Ermeni Gregoryen Mezarligi): Sevag Sahin Balikci, an Armenian soldier serving in the Turkish military and murdered by a Turkish soldier on April 24, 2011, is buried here. His family is organizing a memorial service at his grave.

Academic Conference on the Armenian Genocide: “The Armenian Genocide: Concepts and Comparative Perspectives” will be convened at Boğaziçi University on April 26, 2015.

9:15 a.m. Buses depart from the Intercontinental Hotel

Among the scholars participating in the conference are Norman Naimark, Jay Winter, Dirk Moses, Müge Göçek, Cathie Carmichael, Keith Watenpaugh, Ayhan Aktar, Uğur Ümit Üngör, and Mehmet Polatel. The conference will probe the concept of genocide from a comparative perspective, the forced transfer of children, how the genocide has been mapped in historiography, and the memorialization practices that have enshrined it in collective and historical memory.

Security

Armenian Genocide commemorations have been taking place for past seven years at Taksim Square without incident and under the protection of municipal police in large numbers

We have informed the municipal authorities of our plans, and they have approved the gathering in Taksim Square and will provide security.

We have cordial relations with top-level government officials and expect to have assistance should we need it. It is important that all participants send us their contact details so we can make sure we are able to know who is in our group and able to assist them in case of any issues.

Travel

Participants are encouraged to arrange their travel to Istanbul as early as possible. International commercial flights are available daily to Istanbul.

CHARTER FLIGHT TO YEREVAN CANCELED

The charter flight operator has just informed us that it has canceled the charter flight to Yerevan. Armenian authorities informed them today that it would not be possible for people attending commemoration activities in Yerevan to leave the commemoration site before 14:00, making it impossible for travelers to get to the airport in time for the charter flight return at 15:00. Please contact the charter operator or travel agent with whom you made reservations for further information.

Hotels

We have negotiated a group rate at the Intercontinental Hotel in Taksim Square of $165 (VAT and breakfast included) for a standard room, single occupancy; $180 double occupancy. To secure this rate, we must reserve and pay for a minimum of 15 rooms. If you are interested in booking a room, please email us to request a booking form, and let us know exactly the dates you would like the booking for. You can then send the booking form directly to the hotel.